![]() It takes approximately 8-10 hours on average for an average healthy adult to get rid of caffeine from their system. Caffeine is known to make it harder to fall asleep by reducing sleep pressure and also disrupt our sleep and reduce sleep quality by making our sleep more superficial which increases the probability of waking up in the night.Ī common issue regarding caffeine is that many people do not know that caffeine stays in our bodies for a really long time. This is something we want in the morning and throughout the day – to stay sharp and focused – but we do not want caffeine to keep us awake in the night when we go to sleep. ![]() In this manner, caffeine keeps us awake and alert by blocking the sleep-inducing effects of adenosine on our brain cells. The only difference is that when caffeine binds to the same cells that adenosine normally binds to, it does nothing more but sit there, take up space, and prevent adenosine from binding. The molecular structures of caffeine and adenosine are very similar, and for our brain caffeine looks exactly like adenosine. Doesn’t all of this sound suspiciously as the complete opposite of what adenosine does? If it does, you are completely right – caffeine in your coffee actually works its magic by acting on the adenosine system.Ĭaffeine is like the twin brother of adenosine. Coffee makes us feel more awake, refreshed, alert and have more energy. Majority of us cannot imagine our mornings without a cup of coffee. Then, during sleep, adenosine is gradually removed from the brain and when we wake up in the morning with less adenosine in our brains, we feel refreshed and the cycle of adenosine and sleepiness begins again. Second, adenosine travels to the sleep centers of our brain, where it binds to nerve cells and stimulates their activity, contributing to the feeling of sleepiness. In the brain, adenosine makes us tired and sleepy in two ways.įirst, adenosine travels to the wakefulness and alertness centers of our brain, where it binds to nerve cells and slows down their activity thereby making us less alert and less awake. Adenosine gradually accumulates in our brain throughout the day and the more adenosine accumulates, the sleepier we feel. ![]() ![]() This is all due to a molecule called adenosine.Īdenosine is produced as a residual product in virtually every process in our bodies, from muscle contraction and digestion, nerve cell signaling, to the production of hormones and new blood cells. From a literal sense of view, sleep pressure basically “pressures” your brain and you to sleep. Sleep pressure builds up throughout the day and makes us sleepy in the evening. Sleep pressure is a phenomenon that makes us tired, sleepy and helps us to fall asleep. You can help yourself get a better night of sleep through building up your sleep pressure by avoiding caffeine late in the day, not overindulging in naps, and being physically active throughout the day. ![]()
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